Jane's Hairy Situation
by Haelwyn
Summary: Jane and Gunther make a silly bet: to see who could grow their hair longer! Jane finds that things don't go as easy for her as for the straight-haired raven boy. Hair, luff, and fluff! Complete.
1. Chapter 1

[Hehe, just a little idea I got after realizing the troubles of having hair longer than shoulder-length.]

"_You wanna wager on that, Gunther?" Jane said, ramming her staff on the ground._

"_Pshaw. Don't bother. We both know you'd lose," Gunther said, running his hand through his hair._

"_What, are you afraid of a little bet? I didn't think you were that cowardly, Gunther," Jane said, hand on her hip, bending forward at the waist._

_Gunther gave a quick exhale. "Fine, let's make it a bet," he said, holding his staff out, in front of him._

"_Fine," Jane said, crossing her own staff as well._

_And they said at the same time. "I bet I can grow my hair longer than yours!"_

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Jane struggled with her massive red hair, trying to brush the frizzy ends to keep from sticking out. In vain, it should be noted. She sighed and put down the abused brush on the table.

"Hey, Jester," Jane said, calling the attention of her friend seated on the bench beside her.

"Yes, Jane?" Jester said, juggling three colorful hackey-sacks.

"Who started the bet about not getting our hair cut?" she said, pointing to her hair, which had already grown past her shoulders, halfway down to her waist.

Jester looked at her, then her hair, then turned his attention back to his juggling. "I'm not sure, wasn't that months ago?"

"Three stupidly long months ago," Jane said, bringing her fist down on the table. "I can't stand this hair anymore, it's getting annoying."

"It's grown into quite the lion's mane, hasn't it?" Jester said, putting down his juggling balls. He lifted one lock of Jane's flaming red curls and inspected it. "I'm expecting you to fall over anytime now, from the weight of it."

"I'm the only one who's having trouble with this bet," Jane whined. "You don't have bushes growing out of your head," she said, resting her chin on the table.

"True," Jester said, twirling a strand of his own dirty blonde hair under his Jester's cap. "But look on the bright side. You could probably stop arrows with that head of hair," he said, snickering.

"Very funny," Jane said, not moving her head from the table, her hair in a massive bunch around it.

"Why don't you braid it, like Pepper does?" Jester suggested.

"I don't know how to braid," Jane said, sitting back up. "And Pepper's always so busy nowadays; I couldn't ask her to do it."

"I know how," Jester offered, then looking away. "I think… I've seen Pepper do it once."

"Braid away, then," Jane said, turning her back to him.

"Right," Jester said, picking up her red locks.

A few moments of silence passed.

"Er," Jester muttered to himself, "Now was it left over right, then over middle… No, no, that's not it. Maybe middle over third to the left, then right over middle… No, that's not it, either."

A few more moments of silence passed.

"Ow," Jane exclaimed, bringing her hand up to her hair.

"Sorry, Jane," Jester said apologetically. "That wasn't right, either…"

Several more moments of silence passed.

"Ow!" Jane said, louder, turning around to face Jester, her hand bunched up over her shoulder.

"Sorry," Jester said, his hands held up in front of him. Jane saw strands of her hair caught in his fingers.

"Um, perhaps someone else should braid my hair, Jester," Jane said, tilting her head apologetically.

"Yes," Jester replied, picking the hair from his fingers. "Yes, they should."

"Yes, Jester," a sneering voice came from the courtyard. "Any fool should be able to manage something so menial," Gunther said, walking in their direction.

"Good day to you, too, Gunther," Jane said, massaging her scalp where it stung. "This bet was your idea, wasn't it?"

"Who knows," Gunther said, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head. "You could have backed out earlier, if it was _such_ trouble to you… Or if you weren't _knight_ enough to take it."

"Actually," Jester intervened, "Rake and Smithy did join, and they did back out within a month."

"Smithy didn't back out," Jane corrected. "His hair caught fire in the forge."

"What this about hair catching fire?" a looming voice came from the castle wall, followed by a loud thump as Dragon landed on the parapets. "Whatever it was, I swear it had nothing to do with me," he said, raising a claw.

Jester held back laughter as he explained. "The day Smithy's hair got singed. You remember that, don't you?"

Dragon thought for a moment, then broke out into laughter. "Oh, oh, yes! That was certainly a day to remember. Pig running around and everything, and then, oh, hahaha!-" he said, breaking off into hysterical laughter.

"And Pepper's the one who told to have Rake's hair cut," Jane said. "He couldn't keep the mud and dirt out of it."

Jester mockingly pinched his nose and fanned his hand in front of his face. "Came to dinner everyday smelling like manure. Ugh, that was a month to remember."

Dragon was still wiping tears from his eyes when he broke out into a new fit of laughter. "Hahaha, manure. Hahaha!"

"Gunther's the only one who doesn't find this bet a problem. Ugh, I can't even stand looking at you. It gives me a stomachache," Jane said, stomping her feet and turning her back to her fellow squire.

"It can't be helped if my hair is so naturally manageable," Gunther said, twirling his straight hair, tied in a low ponytail which lay over his shoulder. "Unlike some redhead I know."

"Can you braid my hair or not?" Jane said, turning around again and pointing a finger in Gunther's face.

"Well, of course I can. Like I said, any _fool_-," he said, turning the glare on Jester again.

"Go ahead and be my guest then," Jester said, bowing low. "It seems that you are the best cut out for this job," he said, walking backwards slowly. "Just call me after all the killing is done, okay?"

Dragon hopped up and cleared his throat. "Right, well, I'm off to my mountain cave, where I won't be able to hear Jane's screaming as you make a mess of her hair," he said, taking off from the castle wall. "Hahaha, manure," they could hear him laughing to himself as he flew off.

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"Gunther, are you done yet?" Jane asked, her eye twitching from all the pulling being done on her hair.

"Well, I would be," Gunther said, grunting, "If you didn't move around so much."

"I can't-," Jane said, her shoulder jerking as Gunther's fingers brushed the top of her ear. She was ticklish there, not that she'd let Gunther know about it, though.

"Agh," Gunther groaned as he let go of another bunch of Jane's hair. "There, you see, you keep jumping around like that. I'll never get this done."

"Well, maybe if you were more careful about it," Jane retorted.

Gunther did a singsong mimickry of her voice. "Just hold still. I'm going to have to start all over again."

"Fine by me," Jane said, trying to hold still as Gunther's fingers lightly touched the back of her neck, making her tense up her shoulders.

Then she felt Gunther's hand full on her shoulder. "Stop doing that. I'm not going to pull your hair out," he said, as he forced her shoulder down.

Jane just let out a deep sigh.

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"So, why didn't you just break off the bet?" Jester said, from his seat on the parapets. "I mean, it's not like you wagered money or anything."

"No, I guess we didn't," Jane said, fiddling with her hair, now in a braid, tied up securely at the end with some twine.

"So why don't you just get your hair cut already? I mean, he's just gonna cut his hair too, right afterwards," Jester suggested.

"I think I'll keep my hair this length, just for a little while longer," she said, dreamily looking back into the castle's courtyard.

"Suit yourself, even though you do nothing but complain about the stupid bet," Jester said, jumping off his seat and walking over to where Jane stood.

"Oh, not everything about it is bad," she said, as she watched Gunther spar with Sir Theodore.

Jester rolled his eyes at Jane and started walking away. Jane let out another deep sigh. She wouldn't tell anyone, but she had started that bet, because Gunther looked extremely cool with his long hair in a ponytail.

[I had really wanted to put a little more fluff in it, but I couldn't decide whether to make it Jane and Jester or Jane and Gunther. Tell me which pairing sounds better and I'll add a second chapter for it. Reviews much appreciated.]


	2. Chapter 2

[Heehee, and the story continues. And by the way, I've made sketches of Gunther with his different hairstyles, if I couldn't describe them well enough. It's viewable at the following address .com/art/Gunther-185205632, which is a drawing on my deviantart account. If you can't access it from here, well, just go to my deviantart account - same username - and it should be the newest upload in my gallery. The first three you should probably be familiar with already. The fourth is a little sneak preview in what comes next in the story. :D Enjoy! R&R Plox.]

[Oh, and by the other way, this chapter's got an exciting bit - there's a fight scene in it! Review and critique it, if it's good, too slow, too detailed, completely impossible, or whatever you think about it, and if you'd like to see more fight scenes, with or without the attempted fluff. Thanks.]

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"Jester!" Jane shouted, at the same time standing up, turning around, and pointing her sword at the jingle-boy, who had been creeping up on her back.

"What?" Jester said, standing up from his crouched position. "I didn't do anything," he said, holding his right arm up, and his other at his back, standing straight as a stake.

Jane scoffed and rolled her eyes. She put her sword in the crook of Jester's left elbow and pulled his left arm sharply away from his body. A pair of scissors fell to the ground.

"How could you do that?" she screamed at him, driving her sword into the dirt ground.

"I didn't really _do_ anything," Jester said, scratching the back of his head, er, hat. "I mean, not yet, but-"

"But you were going to," Jane said, pointing an accusing finger at the scissors. "-cut my hair off. "You're siding with Gunther!"

"I am not siding with Gunther, I'm just trying to help you!" Jester said, flapping his arms out in desperation. "If _I_ get rid of your hair, then you could always tell that coward-boy that it wasn't your fault, then you wouldn't have to continue. It's obvious you're going to lose, er, oops-," he said, quickly covering his mouth.

"I won't lose," Jane said, folding her arms crossly. "I won't _dare_ lose. I can handle this myself, so you can keep your scissors and jingly hat out of this."

She pulled her sword from the ground and turned around sharply. Jester watched the massive head of hair walk briskly away from him. And _then_ realized that it was still in its braid.

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"Oh, still haven't taken out the braid from yesterday, have we, Jane?" Gunther said, bowing to his sparring partner.

"Oh, now we're concerned with how my hair looks, aren't we, Gunther?" Jane said, bowing back.

"Well," Gunther said, tilting his head to look at her. "Well," he said again, "I thought you would've taken it out at once."

"Well what?" Jane said, getting into her fighting stance. "So I left the braid in. I thought you'd be glad to know I appreciated it," she said, not mentioning how she still remembered the feel of every feathery touch on her hair, neck, and back. "I still washed my hair, if you happen to be laughing about that."

"I wasn't laughi-," Gunther began, shrugging his shoulders, but was abruptly cut off by Jane's lunge and thrust at his chest. He quickly brought his sword arm to center, knocking the sword away with the flat of his blade.

"Oh, don't pretend, Gunther," Jane said, stepping back again, swinging her sword around her head like a saber, and swung out at Gunther's temple. "We both know this little dare was your little idea of a joke."

"My idea of a-," Gunther said, easily parrying the slash, then pushing the blade away, and countering with his own swing back. "Well, if it such a farce, why don't you just call it off then?"

"Well-," Jane said, weakly parrying.

"Well what?" Gunther said, with another slash from the opposite side.

"Well well!" Jane said, fiercely blocking this swing. She twisted the blade and pushed Gunther's downward to hit the ground. "Fine then, I'll call it off then."

"Fine," Gunther said calmly, maneuvering his sword arm downwards and twisting his sword free of the sword-lock, and raising it above his head.

"Fine!" Jane shouted as Gunther brought his sword down with two hands. Metal scraped against metal as she blocked it with a two-handed grip on the hilt, her sword horizontal at eye-level. She lowered her body to better block the powerful strike, and eventually knelt on her left knee.

"Fine," Gunther said, with renewed intensity, as he rested all his weight on the contact point.

Then Jane had an idea. She tilted the sword downwards to her left, and almost immediately she sensed Gunther's weight shift abruptly with his sword, falling to her left. She then pushed outwards to her left, sending Gunther completely off-balance. Then, tucking her sword and arms in, she quickly did a forward tumble, ending up kneeling beside Gunther. She rammed her elbow in the back of Gunther's knees and shoved, hard.

Gunther fell forwards on his knees. Jane stood up directly behind him and grabbed his ponytail, pulling it upwards. From the balconies, a sigh, followed by a closing door, went unheard.

"But before we call off this bet," Jane said, new malice in her voice. "I want to make sure you," she said, bringing her sword slowly up to the base of the ponytail, "-lose."

"… Fine," Gunther said, unexpectedly, for Jane truthfully. Gunther let his head hang limp - struggling against Jane's vise-like grip was futile.

"Fine," Jane said, and tried to mean it. But her sword-arm started to shake, and she couldn't get it to slice through the silky black hair that hung between her fingertips. An involuntary shiver ran through her, and she took a deep breath, but all she could manage was to nick Gunther's hair tie.

"Well?" Gunther said, as he noticed his hair fall around his face. "Can't even cheat properly, can you, lionhead?"

Jane fumed. Then she got another idea. She flopped Gunther's hair over his head, then grabbed another tuft from the front, right around his face. And, with no hesitation, she sliced right through it with her blade.

Gunther stood up abruptly as Jane backed away. He spit out tufts of hair and brushed the rest from his face. "I knew it! You cheater!"

"Not really," Jane said, smirking and flicking strands of black hair from her fingers. "That bit isn't part of the bet."

"Ugh, feather-brain," was all Gunther managed as he turned to face her, his hair swooshing around his head. With his new 'haircut,' some strands kept falling just over his eyes, and a few longer strands fell down the sides of his face, to his chin.

A little gasp was all Jane managed, as she watched Gunther turn, then storm off, as manly as he could be, with his hair all down. And she couldn't help but smile after him.

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	3. Chapter 3

[Well, it seems the link to my sketch isn't working, so… just look for it in my deviantart account ^^;. And sorry that I haven't updated this in a while, been working on my other stories, too. Here we go, more hair, fluff, and luff!]

-.-.-

Jane spotted her fellow squire at the routine task of polishing the shields. After the castle's hundred years celebration, apparently, the knights thought it wiser and easier to at least polish a few of the shields every once in a while rather than scrape, clean, and wax all of them every once in a century. She, herself, had just returned from her morning patrol with Dragon, and was off to report the Sir Theodore.

Gunther was sitting on a stool in the corner of the yard, grumbling louder than he usually did at any mundane task. In addition to his task of polishing, he also had the task of keeping an uneven fringe out of his eyes. Sometimes he blew his bangs out of the way, occasionally flipping his head to get them all to one side, and mostly just reaching up and pushing it behind his ear, for the umpteenth time since the day started; which of course resulted in him leaving streaks of dirt on his forehead, which he did not seem to notice.

"Well now," Dragon said, as he was about to leave. "I was about to go watch some cows, but this is certainly more entertaining. What are you going to do next, Gunther, polish your hair out of your eyes?"

The squire responded by glaring up at the dragon through the uneven bangs and flipping his hair over to the side.

Jane sniggered, to irritate him further, but also to stall for time, because his appearance now left her, well, speechless.

"Of course if you want out of the deal, maybe you'd like Dragon to burn off your hair for you?" Jane said loudly, in a singsong voice.

"Not like our dear lady redhead hasn't had any problems of her own," Gunther retorted. "I hear you were late this morning, trying to cram that bushy hair into your helmet."

"I was not late, and I don't wear that helmet for patrols anyway," Jane said, quickly cutting through his half-hearted joust. "I can braid my hair just fine now. It looks like you're having more problems than me."

"All of which are your fault," he said, angrily. "Stupid bet, and these stupid-, stupid-," he said, pulling at the fringe in front of his eyes.

"Bangs," Jane answered. "Or fringe, if you'd like. Sounds more elegant-," she said, sarcastically. "Might not get your work done today; I mean, half the time you're flipping your hair over."

"Ugh, just leave me alone," Gunther, said, turning his back on them grumpily. Pushing his bangs to the side with a filthy hand, he continued polishing the shields.

Even Jane knew when to stop arguing. A slight pang in her heart, she turned to go back to her own duties.

-.-.-

Jane returned to the castle late that night; with Gunther on shield-polishing duty, the rest of the tasks assigned to the knights that day fell to her. She had helped her mother sort out the princess's wardrobe; most of her clothes were long outgrown, what with Little Lavinia approaching her teenage years now. Some elements of the garden needed moving, which she helped Rake and his trusty wheelbarrow with. And her father had requested her assistance in his monthly inventory of all the merchants' stalls in the marketplace; midday in the middle of the market, carrying the chamberlain's lists was not the most pleasant place to be.

And now she trudged back into the courtyard, with the watchful Dragon slumbering on the wall. He woke up as she came near.

"Jane, thank goodness you've returned," he said, wriggling slightly. "There's an itch here behind my left wing that I just can't reach. Dragon scales are such a bother; I was just barely able to get some sleep all day," he said, some alarm in his voice.

"Well, I'd rather have itchy scales than a day just like I've had, anytime," she said, rolling her eyes and climbing up to where her best friend lay. "Here, let's have a scratch at it," she said, giving his back a hearty scratch.

"Ah, there we go, much better," he said, lying back down again. "In the meantime, looks like your friend there is dozing off in the corner."

"Oh, that's right, I have to finish up the rest of the shields after Gunther," she said, somewhat exasperated. "I wonder how many more he hasn't done-,"

"Well, actually, you'd be surprised," Dragon said, nudging her towards him. "Go on then, have a look."

Jane raised an eyebrow at him before walking over to where Gunther sat, not on the wooden stool, but on the ground, leaning against the wall. A shield was on his lap, a rag in his hands, and a good deal of hair on his face. His ponytail was becoming untidy, and strands came over his shoulders. In general, he was a mess.

Jane gave a little groan as she knelt beside him. She started prodding his shoulder. "Hey, Gunther, wake up, Gunther, stop slacking off, Gunther," she said, over and over again. He did not respond at all; merely turned his head to rest on the other shoulder.

"Ugh, just pretending to sleep, I wager," she said, rolling her eyes. Reaching her hand up slowly to his face, she gently brushed his hair to the side, revealing his sleeping face.

There were streaks of dirt, wax, and polish across his forehead and cheeks, and the tip of his nose seemed to have decided to turn a permanent red; maybe from the dust of all those shields. But still, his expression was serene - tired, but serene.

Glancing over at the pile of shields, she assessed the work that had to be done. But, to her surprise, and jumping over Gunther's legs to examine the pile more closely, she found -.

"So, Jane, after you're done with those shields maybe we could go out for a night flight to watch some cows and-," Dragon started saying from the battlements. "Oy, Jane, where are you going all of a sudden?"

"Listen, Dragon, why don't you go on ahead, go watch some cows or, or, whatever," Jane said hurriedly, running into the castle.

"Oh, well, okay, if you insist," Dragon said, with no hesitation as he leapt off, mooing and snickering as he left.

"Pepper, do you know where I can find a basin of hot water and a towel-?" Jane shouted in the kitchen.

-.-.-

Gunther's slowly fluttered open in the darkening courtyard. He felt something flickering in his face, and his hand reached up automatically to brush it away. It kept coming back, though, so he sat up and-

"Hey, don't move around so much, or I won't be able to get that smudge of your cheek," Jane said, in a scolding tone.

"Jan- Wha-?" he mumbled in his half-asleep half-awake state.

"Now hold still for a minute," she said, holding a warm towel near his face.

And he felt a hand supporting his chin, and the warm towel against his cheek, as Jane scrubbed gently to wipe the dirt off. He stayed quiet and motionless, thinking maybe he was just dreaming. But he opened his eyes and she was still there, and her touch on his face was still there…

"What are you doing?" he finally said, after she'd scrubbing every inch of his face.

"Well, it's a 'Thank You'," she mumbled, wringing off the towel into the basin. "I see you haven't left any work for me to do here, so thank you."

"Oh, what's this sudden expression of gratitude then? Finally realized how appreciative you should be of me- Hey!" he suddenly said as the towel was thrown in his face.

"Alright, appreciation's over," she said, abruptly standing with the basin in her arms. "Almost time for supper," she said, starting to walk away.

"Jane! Wait," he suddenly called, clambering after her.

Jane stopped, then turned to face Gunther slowly. "What now, Gunther?"

"Th-th-," he muttered.

"Th?" Jane said, tilting her head.

"Thank you," he said, walking closer, holding the towel she had used. He dropped it into the basin, but didn't move from where he stood in front of her, his hair covering his eyes.

"W-," Jane stuttered. "Well, we're even, so there." She reached up to brush his hair aside, but decided against it, somewhat afraid of what his face might show. Making an awkward stalling motion with her hands, she quickly said, "You probably should do something about that hair, though, you know, so it doesn't get in the way," and quickly turned and walked straight into the castle kitchen.

-.-.-


	4. Chapter 4

[Uwah, I never expected so many people reading one of my lighter-hearted fics of one of my lighter-hearted favorite shows of all time. All hits and reviews go straight to a soft spot in my heart; you guys make me feel all warm and fuzzy, even more than all the Jane and Gunther fluff that's going on. More reviews please, and I may add a little Jester madness just to stir it all up and add more wonderful chapters. I haven't been in the mood to sketch lately, but I hope the descriptions paint the portraits well enough. Thanks guys!]

[BTW, the first mention of the phrase 'hairy situation' comes out in this chapter! Guess who gets to say it. And so much more was supposed to happen in this chapter, but it ended up too long, so I'll include those in the next update. Cheers! :D]

-.-.-

"A _what_?" Jane suddenly said, in a loud voice, startling the excited Pepper across the dining table, and the half-asleep Jester beside her. "What did you just say?"

She had just washed her hair that morning and had come down for breakfast with a small towel draped across her shoulders. While drying her hair, it nearly flew out of her hands as she whipped her head at what Pepper had just said.

"The Annual Castle Ball, of course," Pepper said, hands still on her chest in surprise. "Don't tell me you didn't know about it. We have it every year-"

"-thus the 'annual' bit, you see, Jane," Jester interjected.

Jane made a face at him, rearranging the towel on her shoulders from where it had landed on the seat. "Not the Ball - what you said before that."

"Well, your mother - don't tell her I told you, she told me to keep it a secret for now, but well, since you're my friend - has been arranging for a gown to be made for you. She's been asking me about what colors you like, what kind of fabric is your favorite-," Pepper started rambling.

"Oh no, not again," Jane said, burying her face in the wet towel and her massive hair, which by this time, nearly six months from her last haircut, fell around her in a sloppy wet mess to her waist. Drying her hair meant half a day of walking around with wet strands flipping about everywhere, or a couple of hours of flying with Dragon, which seemed to be happening less and less recently, what with all the tasks that had to be done in the castle - in preparation of the Ball, of course.

"I've told her year and year again that I would not attend wearing any blasted gown she picks out for me," she said, gesturing vehemently with one hand.

"And that's why year and year again you've been celebrating it here in the courtyard with us," Jester said, motioning to Pepper, who nodded in agreement.

Pepper suddenly giggled a little. She leaned slightly forward to face Jane. "And not that I want to sound like your mother, but don't you want to attend the ball properly, with a proper gown this once?"

"I am a knight, Pepper," Jane retorted. "Who wants to see a knight in a silly frilly gown?"

"Oh, I can think of more than one person who wants to see _you_ in a nice gown, maybe with your hair done up nicely and sparkling jewelry all around-," Pepper started, her voice trailing off in some midday hallucination.

"Oh come off it, Pepper," Jane hissed, flushing slightly at the thought, and suddenly returned to frisking her waist-length curly red hair. "No one wants to see me in something like that. Right, Jester?" she said, turning to her funny friend.

"Sparkling jewelry-," he said, spaced out. He snapped back into focus and stammered, "Er, uhm, yes, well, what was the question again?"

"Ugh, stupid dresses," she said, vigorously rubbing with the towel in an attempt to get it to dry within the morning. "As if this massive hair wasn't trouble enough-,"

"Hey, now there's an idea!" Jester suddenly said, jumping up from his seat.

"What is it?" Jane and Pepper asked at the same time.

"This is the first time you've had your hair this long, right?" he said, excitedly pointing at her and jumping from foot to foot.

"Yes," Jane said in a drawn-out singsong breath, rather apprehensively, not knowing where Jester was going with all this.

"And you've still got that bet going on with Gunther, right?" he continued.

"Yeah, so?" she said, rolling her eyes at him.

"How about you extend your bet to something like, say-," he said, folding his arms and stroking a non-existent beard on his chin. "Whoever goes to the ball better-dressed and with a better hairstyle gets to end the silly bet, before this 'hairy situation' - he said, making quotation marks in the air with his fingers - grows any more unmanageable!"

"That's a wonderful idea, Jester!" Pepper said, clapping her hands.

"Couldn't there be another, less frilly way to settle the score?" Jane said, in a desperate tone.

"Well, I don't know, Jane," Jester said, in an exaggeratedly singsong voice, pacing back and forth. "There won't be another event like this in another year. I mean, it's the 'mane' event," he said, suddenly outstretching his arms towards her, but when she didn't laugh at his pun, he merely cleared his throat and continued. "This'll be your only chance to show him up; otherwise, you two will just have to keep your hair growing and growing, and growing and growing on and on, and on, and on-,"

"Yes, yes, I get it," Jane said, giggling a little. "Well, if it's the only way," she said, seeming less hesitant than before.

"Oh, wonderful!" Pepper said, standing up and clapping her hands some more. "I'll go tell your mother straightaway!" she said, and ran off into the castle before Jane could stop her.

"Oh well, no turning back now," Jane sighed, slumping back into her seat. "All that's left is to do is to tell Gunther…"

-.-.-

Jane searched the castle after breakfast, after morning duties, and after lunch, but found no sign of the raven-haired squire.

"Ugh," she groaned. "Why is he always there when I don't want him, and nowhere to be seen when I need to talk to him?" she screamed at nothing in particular.

"If people are asking where I went," Dragon suddenly said, descending from the sky and making a less-than-perfect landing in a pile of barrels. "Say that I went to, uh, patrol the air currents above the northern pastures-,"

"Where the cows graze, Dragon?" Jane said, raising an eyebrow at him. "And 'moo' all day long?"

"No, well, yes," he said, pushing off barrels with a large claw. "Official business, I assure you. Now what is this you needed to talk to me about?"

"Oh, so you heard me-, It's not you, it's Gunther. I need to tell him something, but I can't find him anywhere," she said, exasperated.

"Nope, haven't seen him all day. Must be busy with something, what with that short-life annual party coming up again. Don't you short-lives get sick of it?" he said, waving one clawed finger in the air. "Now cows, on the other hand, I could watch my whole life. 'Mooo,'" he imitated, laughing at his own statement.

"Well, if you do see him, tell him I've got something important to say to him, regarding the ball," said Jane. "Oh, and once he's done with his duties, he should meet me tonight, on this parapet."

"Oh, something important about the bal-," Dragon said, then a realization suddenly came to him. "Oh, I see, _that_ kind of something important about the ball."

"What are you thinking, Dragon?" Jane asked, suspicious.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," he said, smiling strangely. "I'll be sure to tell him when I see him, then."

"See you later, then, Dragon," she said, and with a great flapping of dragon wings, she was left standing alone on the castle wall as Dragon went off into the sky.

And behind her, hidden behind the wooden door to the castle, hid Gunther, surprised at what he had just overheard.

-.-.-


	5. Chapter 5

[Woohoo, fifth chapter already! Let's do this! Let's take a look at Gunther's side for a while this time :D.]

-.-.-

Gunther paced restlessly. The clearing just outside the castle walls was the perfect place for pacing, for him, anyway. The straight line of trodden grass proved it. His hair, tied in a loose ponytail at the base of his neck, was in a mess, with strands hanging all over his face, and his bangs whipping about in front of his eyes whenever he turned at the end of a straight line.

_Jane has something important to say? And regarding the Ball, too! It must be about _that_! He_ thought to himself, over and over again as the afternoon wore on, and the grass wore thin.

_She couldn't have found out, though,_ he said, trying to reassure himself. _She couldn't know that-_

With a sigh, he stopped in his tracks. Out loud, he said, to no one in particular, "That's right, she couldn't know what _I_ was planning to tell her. So I might as well tell her tonight."

And with a nod of his head, he started walking back towards the castle as the sun set in the horizon.

-.-.-

Jane waited patiently on the appointed parapet, leaning forward on one of the gaps in the battlement. She stared out absent-mindedly into the darkening night, just waiting.

Jester leaned on the wall next to her, playing a mellow song on his lute. He paused a bit before turning to Jane. "Are you sure he'll come tonight? No one's seen him all day, after all. Maybe you could tell him when you see him tomorrow."

"Oh, maybe you're right," Jane said, fiddling with her hair, in a loose braid which she had pulled over her shoulder. "Probably too busy today to listen, anyway."

Jester put down his lute and stretched. Through a big yawn, he said "Well, I guess it's time for me to hit the hay. Gotta watch out for when it hits back, though." He shadow-boxed playfully at Jane, then picked up the lute and started walking down towards the courtyard.

Jane sighed and smiled after the jingle boy. After the sound of his footsteps receded and disappeared, she turned back to gaze at the sky.

"He's right, I could always just tell him tomo-," she said out loud.

"Jane," suddenly came a voice from behind her.

"Gunther!" she said, turning around quickly. "Where have you been all day? I looked everywhere for you," she said, excitedly. "I have something to tell you, about the Ball."

"Yeah, well, I was kinda busy-," he said, his voice trailing off as he looked down at his feet. "And- and I've got something to say about the party as well."

"Oh, good thing you found me tonight, then," she said, brightening up. "You go first, then."

"Well, I just wanted to ask…"

-.-.-

"He asked you _what_?" Jester said, apparently quite shocked, as he nearly overturned the bench that he and Rake were sitting on.

"Ugh, don't make me say it again," she said, burying her face in her arms. "It's embarrassing enough saying it once."

"What about it? I don't get why it's such a big deal," Rake said, in his usual calm voice. "I asked Pepper to the dance, but she isn't upset about it."

"It's not just about the asking, Rake," Jane said. "But more of _who_'s doing the asking, and who's being asked."

"Well I think it isn't such a bad idea," Pepper said suddenly, approaching the table with a big bowl of breakfast. "Having a date to the dance is a wonderful thing."

"Not if it's Gunther," Jane groaned.

"Well, what did you answer?" Jester asked, anxious.

"I said I'd tell him today, after our duties," she said, her face still buried in her arms. "But what do I tell him?"

"It's not like you to fret over something like this, Jane," Pepper said, comfortingly. "The normal you would just take it as a joke, laugh it off, and then call him names."

"Well, it's not like I couldn't take him seriously, not with-," she said, catching herself. Quietly, she mumbled to no one in particular "With the way he looked in the moonlight, his face framed by his raven hair." Feeling her face flush at the thought, she groaned again.

"Have you told him about the bet?" Jester asked.

"I didn't get the chance to tell him last night. It was too much of a shock, what he said to me," Jane said, sitting upright, finally, fixing her hair timidly. "I could tell him later on, but it'd be too embarrassing to bring that up when he's so serious about the dance."

"Let me talk to him later, then," Jester said, with a proud nod of his head. "That way, you could avoid answering his invitation to the Ball, _and_ I could tell him your proposal about the bet."

"That's a great idea!" said Jane, and she felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Now all that's left to take care of is -,"

"Your dress, Jane," a twittering voice called from behind them, in the courtyard. "I've arranged for you measurements to be taken by the dress-maker this morning, before you start your duties."

Jane groaned as she stood up grudgingly. "Right on cue. Never thought I'd go to her willingly for something like this, but - Coming, Mother!" she shouted as she let herself be led by the lady-in-waiting, still chatting about fabric and sequins and hairpieces.

"Is she going to be alright?" Rake asked nervously. "I mean, she hasn't had a dress in ages."

"Oh, she'll be fine. I'm sure the dress will turn out lovely," Pepper said, with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm sure we're all excited to see what she'll look like at the Ball."

"Well, then, my good folks," Jester said, suddenly standing up from the table. "I'm off to prepare my act for the evening."

"Don't forget to tell Gunther about the arrangements for that bet you talked about," Pepper called after him.

"Oh I'll give him a bet, alright. I'll give him a bet," he said, as he walked out of the courtyard.

-.-.-

[Ooh, what is Jester planning? And how will Jane's dress turn out? Find out in the next chapter! Wow, this story arc is really getting drawn out. Needs more fluff!]


	6. Chapter 6

[Yay for Jane and the Dragon although nobody I know IRL knows about it. At least there's fanfiction :D. Oh, and sorry I fast-forward-ed to the ball in this chapter, since there really isn't much fluff left to go on if it's just about preparations for the ball. So here goes. Long chapter is long. Read and review if you please.]

-.-.-

It was the afternoon before the ball. It had been a swelteringly hot day; Jane swore the sun was doing all it could to cause misery on those who labored under the hot sky, preparing the castle for the festivities that evening.

Pepper was in a fire of her own, cooking up the usual feast, stoves and ovens never ceasing. Rake was busy fixing up the garden and ballroom with the usual rose decorations, with Smithy helping out with his tools here and there. Gunther was off with his father, Magnus Breech the merchant, unloading the supplies that the castle had purchased for the day. The chamberlain was attending to all the associated paperwork, and re-checking the invitation list. The knights were on patrol, as usual, and had assigned Dragon to do the same, mostly to keep him out of everyone's way. The king was his usual cheery self, the prince his usual angsty teenage self, and Lavinia was being attended to by her mother and several ladies-in-waiting.

Meanwhile, Jane was in utmost physical and psychological pain. She was finally putting on the dress.

"Ouch! Mother!" Jane hissed as she felt a pin find the skin of her upper arm. She rubbed the site fervently, through the frills and fabric that constituted her sleeves.

"Ooh, sorry, dearie," her mother said, putting the disfigured sewing pin in a growing pile of bent pins. "My eyes are tearing up; it's been so long since you've put on a dress."

"Yes, yes, I understand," she said, trying to be consoling, but now her head, as well as her arm - and several other pin-pricked places on her body - were throbbing in pain. "But could you _please_ let the seamstress do the job?" She wanted to add "properly," but realized that it would only irritate the lady-in-waiting further. Jane didn't want an ill-tempered mother holding those sewing pins.

"Oh, I guess you're right," her mother finally said with a sigh. She put down the fabric and needles she had been holding on to, just in case the seamstress asked for her help - which, thankfully, the seamstress didn't. "I should probably leave this work to a professional."

The seamstress merely nodded at this, and continued attaching the different pieces of cloth that were Jane's gown.

"It's coming together beautifully. I couldn't have asked for a better model for it," the seamstress continued, appreciatively. "I am sure your date to the ball will be happy."

"W-what?" Jane said, blushing furiously in the mirror. "What are you talking about? A d-date?"

"Well, now, I just thought someone might have asked you to the ball," the seamstress said, a kindly smile on her face. "And judging by your face, I think someone has."

"Jane!" her mother said, suddenly jumping in on the conversation. Her voice was stern, but somehow Jane got the feeling that she was actually happy about something. "You must let your mother know these kinds of things. You hadn't told me that someone asked you to the ball."

"No one has!" Jane suddenly shouted, her face still red. "No, I mean, someone has, but I didn't want _you_ to know-."

"No 'but's, Jane, you must tell me now. You haven't told me all week, and now I don't know if your outfits will match, and-,"

"Mother, it's not a big deal," she snapped, with finality. "We were all too busy all week, anyway, I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to. But I didn't want it, it was supposed to be just a little bet between us; 'Who could grow their hair longer?' That was all. No big deal."

"Ooooh, I knew it," her mother suddenly said, delight on her face. "It's Gunther, isn't it? I knew something happened since you started letting your hair grow long like that. Oh sweetie, you should have just told me that you liked him."

"I never said-," her face grew an even deeper shade of red.

"Some things don't have to be said, Jane," her mother said, nodding her head. "Now let's close this dress up on you; don't want to be late for your big night."

-.-.-

"Oh, hey, you there, gardener, blacksmith," Dragon called wildly, perching atop the royal garden wall. "Hey, is everyone still busy?"

"Actually, Dragon, yes, we're all still quite busy," he said, carrying one end of what seemed to be a heavy cast iron outdoor bench. Smithy carried the other end. "What is it you wanted?"

"Have you seen Jane around? I've hardly been able to talk to her all week. I swear, that old knight and that lady-in-waiting are plotting something, keeping me and Jane apart like this," he said, contemptedly, his dragon nostrils flaring and puffing smoke dangerously.

"Jane's been trying on her new dress, that's all. And doing double-duty since the ball's going to be grander this year. The princess was so elated that Jane had promised to wear a dress, so she ordered everything twice as grand." he said, once they'd set the bench down, the fourth in a ring around the fountain.

"Oh, well, in that case, I'll just have to wait for her, then, all by _myself_ out here, alone, and _by myself_," Dragon said, in an exaggeratedly loud voice.

"Don't worry, Dragon, the ball will start soon enough, then she'll be in her dress by then, and you'll get to see her."

"No, it's okay, I'll go look for someone else to talk to then. Have fun with those benches; seem like a waste of iron to me, though," he said, and took off.

-.-.-

Dragon flew a few minutes over the castle, peering in mixed amusement and disgust at all the short-lives bumbling about.

"All in celebration of one night. Well there's one-tenth of all your entire lifespan gone, short-lives," he said, shouting down at the people who did not hear him. "Tch, really. This whole affair has left without anyone to talk to. Except cows, maybe, not that they could hold conversation, or anything, though."

Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Gunther or the Jingle-boy all week, either. Were they plotting something?

"Oh, look, there's the Jingle-boy now. Maybe he could tell me," he said, as he squinted down at the courtyard and saw Jester hurrying from one parapet to the next, creeping suspiciously.

"Hey, hey Jingle-boy, wait up," he said, zooming in behind Jester.

Jester flinched and ducked as Dragon landed on the wall right in front of him.

"Hey, Jingle-boy, in the lack of anyone better to talk to, there's a couple of things I've been wanting to ask. How dare you people ignore me all week, and-," Dragon said, dusting himself off, then nearly did a backflip when he finally took a look at the boy. "What on earth are you wearing?" he asked, shocked.

"Ssssshhh," Jester hissed, waving Dragon down frantically. "Keep quiet, I don't want anyone to see me yet."

"Well, I can see why not," Dragon said, cocking his head quizzically. "What _are_ you wearing, anyway? And when did your hair get so-,"

"Don't. Tell. Anyone," Jester said, his voice ice-cold. "It's a surprise for tonight, so don't sell me out."

"Alright, I promise I won't," he said, rolling his eyes. "Just tell me, why are you dressed like that for the ball?"

"It's part of a bet for tonight," he said, dusting off his sleeves and walking around Dragon.

"But wasn't that bet between Jane and Gunther? Who could dress better tonight?"

"Ooh, that's not what I told Gunther," Jester said, as he walked away, a smile on his face.

-.-.-


	7. Chapter 7

[Squee, it's finally time for the ball! Please review if you want the story to go beyond this, because otherwise, this is going to be the second-to-the-last chapter of Jane's Hairy Situation. Mostly because I can't imagine anything else hair-related happening after the ball. So, yeah, it's the last bit of story right here. Enjoy though! Read and review if you please.

[Let's feature all the characters in this chapter now :D]

-.-.-

"Jane, Jane, you must dance with me!" Lavinia called, now nearly a lady and even more so in her beautiful peach off-shoulder gown as she had requested, 'all glitters and sparkle.' She just left the company of her irate brother Cuthbert and was hurrying through the crowd to Jane. "Oh, Jane, your dress is so beautiful! Hurry, they're about to play the first song!"

Jane smiled at the princess and curtsied politely to the girl who used to be so fascinated by dragons and stories of knighthood. She had grown out of that state quickly, what with being fawned by suitors and readied for the royal life of a real lady princess. "Of course, princess," she said, nodding politely. "I hear you've become quite the expert at the waltz."

"It's all thanks to the tutors that daddy has been hiring for me. There's this one dance tutor that's really cute, he's got a great smile and he's really good at waltzing too," she said, blushing slightly, taking Jane's hand and leading her towards the center of the ballroom. "Daddy seems really preoccupied with teaching me all of this princess business. I hardly get to spend time with you, anymore, Jane. I've really missed you," she said, longing evident in her voice.

They stopped walking for a second, both lost in thought; Eyes looking past the glittering ballroom and people, back to years gone by, when life was simpler and everyone was simply a friend.

"Well, circumstances change, dear princess," Jane said, shaking away sad thoughts and giving the princess a smile. "But it's a good thing we don't," she offered her hands to the princess, as everyone around started getting ready for the dance.

Lavinia blinked tears away and leapt into her arms, hugging her. "Oh Jane, there's been so much going on lately. I'm so glad you're still my friend."

"And I'm glad you're my princess," Jane said, hugging her back. "Now, shall we dance?"

-.-.-

King Caradoc sat in his throne, surveying the whole scene. A few white hairs graced his head of brown, and he absent-mindedly twirled the end of his moustache in his fingers. Spotting Lavinia and Jane dancing in the middle of the ballroom, he smiled and turned to his wife, leaning over his armrest to talk to her over the ballroom waltz music.

"She has become quite the young lady now, hasn't she, Gwendolyn," he said, motioning to them. "Just look at her, all grown up and hosting her own ball. It makes a king want to cry."

"Don't fret, dear," said the queen in her soothing voice. "Your daughter is a responsible and independent girl now. She makes us both proud."

"I know, dear," he said. "Perhaps it was my fault for relying too much on her after Cuthbert proved too stubborn to teach. Maybe I should have been more patient, maybe it wasn't the right time yet."

"It's not your fault," Gwendolyn replied, placing a hand on her husband's. "Besides, we're supposed to be enjoying tonight. Be happy for your daughter."

"Indeed I am, Indeed I am."

-.-.-

Sir Ivon was busy laughing his head off in a corner of the ballroom, next to the food table. Sir Theodore, chatting with some visiting knights shook his head and clucked at his colleague's behavior.

"Don't worry about him, gentlemen, he's just enjoying himself," he said, following it up with a silent 'too much' in his head. "Now, what were we talking about, again?"

"We've been considering sending some squires to this castle for training. We've heard of your innovative training techniques and would like for some of our students to study under you, if you would allow," one of the knights said, sipping from a glass of wine.

"Your squires are also quite exceptional," another knight interjected, motioning with his half-full wine glass. "The first girl knight in the history of Kippernia? It is something to be proud of."

Sir Theodore involuntarily looked over to where Jane was dancing with the princess, both laughing as they spun around and around on the ballroom floor. "Indeed, our squires show exceptional talent. We knights merely teach them, encourage them, and polish their skills. But I assure you, they are shining well enough on their own."

And with a smile, he took a sip from his glass, ignoring the loud noises of his fellow knight, as he enjoyed the scene.

-.-.-

"Oh Rake, you don't really have to help out here, you've been so busy with the garden," Pepper said, huffing as she carried a tray of assorted pastries on the way to the ballroom. "You might have some other stuff to do."

"It's no problem, Pepper, anything to help with the ball," he said, carrying three more trays precariously balanced on his long, thin arms. "And besides, Smithy's taking care of everything else. Not much left to do in terms of decorating, anyway, everyone's too busy to notice. Food, on the other hand, is something everyone needs to pitch in to help with."

"Thank you Rake," she said, blushing slightly. "It's just so much work, I don't know if we'll have time later to-."

"Don't worry about it, Pepper," Rake said, slowing down. "I asked you to the dance even if I knew you'd be busy, and I just knew you'd worry about it. That's why I wanted to help with your work, so that at least we'd be at the dance together, in a way."

Pepper blushed an even deeper shade of red as she started walking again. "Well, let's get this food to the hall then. Wouldn't want the guests to go hungry."

-.-.-

Unnoticed, right outside the doors, stood Gunther, peering into the ballroom, unusually uneasy. He pulled at the tall collar, feeling like it was strangling him. He took a deep breath and started pacing again, something he'd been doing all since the ball began. He couldn't settle the butterflies in his stomach every time he almost-entered the ballroom.

"So, you're out here, are you? Enjoying yourself?" a sarcastic voice came from behind him in the castle garden.

"I could ask you the same thing, 'jingle-boy?'" Gunther threw back at him.

"I'm not the one who thoughtlessly invited Jane to this affair," said Jester, slowly walking towards him.

"I'm not the one who started this pointless bet between us," he said, giving the boy a head-to-toe scrutinizing look as he came closer. "You weren't kidding about it, though. You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"Oh I'm always serious," Jester said with a smirk. He surveyed the other with the same look, as they stood a foot apart. "You go on in. I'll follow soon enough."

"Don't you dare go back on your word on this," Gunther said, steeling himself. "I'm expecting you to honor your promise when I win this bet."

"Hah," Jester said, giving one big laugh. "Good joke, but that's my job. May the best man win."

"That would be my job, then."

They shook hands, grip too strong for comfort, then Gunther turned away from the jester and entered the ballroom just as the song ended, with the guests all clapping for the musicians.

-.-.-


	8. Chapter 8

[Here's the last bit of story, as promised. But I couldn't cram it all into one chapter, so you'll have to excuse me for having yet _another_ second-to-the-last chapter of Jane's Hairy Situation. Plain dancing is plain. Weird fashion descriptions are weird.]

[And LOL narration-interrupting Jane. You will get it when you read it.]

-.-.-

"That's strange," Jane said, as she and the princess stood side by side, clapping at the end of the first song.

"What is, Jane?" Lavinia asked, smoothing out the hem of her dress.

"I haven't seen Jester all evening. Isn't he supposed to be here?" she said, quickly scanning the crowd for signs of the jingle-boy. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Gunther anywhere, either."

"Hmm," the princess said, also looking around the room, a hand on her hip. "You're right. I haven't seen them, either. Maybe they've got their hands full. The castle staff does have an awful lot of work to do during the ball. Or maybe they're busy entertaining guests; there are quite a few distinguished young ladies here, you know, since father's invited more than a few distinguished young men, and I don't even want to guess why. Perhaps we just haven't spotted them yet."

"Maybe," Jane said, suddenly distracted by the thought that they were off talking to some other girls. What if they ended up talking all night? What if they took a liking to Jester's sense of humor? What if they were entranced by Gunther's raven hair? What if she missed them at the ball and never got the chance to-

"Jane, Jane, look, there's Gunther over there," the princess suddenly called, tugging at her sleeve, and frantically waving her hand in the direction of the knight squire. "He's walking over here!"

Jane froze in place, and it seemed all the thoughts and "what ifs" racing through her head decided to burn up and color her face red as she struggled to compose herself before facing Gunther. She took a deep breath and tried to cool off the color on her face as she turned to face the boy.

Walking through the crowd, he seemed to slow down time in a white shirt with long, puffed sleeves that ended in lace right above his fingertips. An elaborate leather vest covered his sleek trunk, opened slightly at the top to allow the white cravat to show through. Sleek black trousers were covered midway by tall brown dress boots that must be making him a good two inches taller than he usually was. But what probably surprised Jane most of all was his hair, with his bangs combed to one side, and the rest sleeked back into a ponytail high on the side of his head, and hanging down in elegant-

"Curls?" Jane said out loud with disbelief, ending her mental appraisal of his outfit. "You show up to the ball with your hair in curls?"

"Well, you're one to talk. I supposed you're going to claim your red hair's 'straight as a line'?" he said, his face the usual smirking, arrogant Gunther.

"I didn't say that," Jane quickly rebutted. "I only thought, well," she said, stifling a laugh. "Having your hair curled just to out-style me was below you; but apparently I was wrong. You look absolutely gorgeous, Gunther," she said, snickering.

"You can laugh all you want, but my look has got me the admiring looks of several young ladies at this party. I don't have to put up with your company and snide remarks, just so you know," he said, his face suddenly impassive as he coolly looked away, and at a nearby group of girls.

"Oh, okay, okay, fine. So, how do we settle this bet, then?" Jane said, straightening up and holding back her laughter. A silly smile on her face was the only indication of her amusement - among other emotions - at Gunther's appearance.

"Settle? Now? It's not something that can be settled right no-," Gunther said, suddenly confused, remembering the bet that Jester had told him.

"Can't be settled now? Why not? We're both here, aren't we?" Jane said, tilting her head quizzically to one side. "Let's get it over with then."

"You're not going to wait for Jester?"

"Why do we need to wait for Jester?"

"You'll dance with me then?" Gunther suddenly said, a hand to his chest.

"Well, I don't see why not," Jane said, now the one slightly confused, but not disliking Gunther's idea.

"Oh, good. Let's dance, then," he said, holding a hand out towards Jane.

Jane blushed deeply as she took the hand and walked out to the dance floor with Gunther.

-.-.-

"Why'd you get your hair like that, Gunther?" Jane asked, as they spun slowly in a waltz. "I never thought you were the kind to want to look like that," she said, stammering, as she kept avoiding his gaze.

"Thanks, I guess," Gunther said, his grip on her hand tightening. "I knew you had something smart to say about it anyway; it's not like I came unprepared for your sharp tongue."

"I'm not always mean," Jane said, staring up at him, her cheeks puffed. With the passage of years, he had grown to be half a foot taller than her. Even from this angle, she could see his expression darkening.

"Oh, yeah? Well, what about that time you got scolded by Sir Theodore for being 'merciless' in battle?"

"Well, that was-,"

"And all the names you've been calling me?"

"It's not like you haven't been calling me names either-,"

"Not to mention the time you set the princess on me for being the Tooth Fairy,"

"That wasn't my intention then-,"

"And that one ball where you attacked me with a staff because I was bringing flowers to an ex-lady friend."

"That was in the line of duty!"

"And most recently, this accursed hair-business, all because of your girly-girly wishes and wants. Can't a squire have a break for once?"

"It's not like that, Gunther. It's not like that at all," Jane said, suddenly pressing closer to him.

"What is it, then, Jane? If all this silly-ness you've been throwing upon me isn't 'like that,' then what is it?" Gunther asked. "I asked you to the dance sincerely, but all you throw at me is more bets, more competing, and more frustration for me. Why do you keep doing this, Jane?"

Jane felt something pull inside of her, and she suddenly felt a strange lump in her throat. She opened her mouth to answer him, but was distracted by a strange figure walking toward them.

Jester was walking to them through the crowd, and Jane hardly recognized him because of his outfit. The usual blue jigsaw-coat was replaced by, well, another waistcoat, but definitely more elegant. The large collar was folded over, and a frilly white cravat showed through. The long fitted sleeves of the waistcoat were folded over to reveal his gloved hands. The coat extended past his knees elegantly, with plain white pants underneath, tucked into knee-high gray boots, with large buckles. Atop his head was a mini-top hat, perched on the side, but, as with Gunther, what surprised Jane the most was his dirty blonde-

"Long hair?" Jane suddenly said, breaking off from Gunther. "How did you-? When did you-?"

"How and when did I grow this long hair of mine? All the time that you were, of course. All cleverly hidden atop my clever head, underneath my clever hat. And none of you expected a thing," he said, running his hand through the long locks of blond hair, in a low ponytail and hanging over his shoulder. "Tonight I am not a jester, but a proper gentleman of the court, all dressed up and ready to beat little old Gunther."

"Beat Gunther? At what?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just thought I'd show our sad squire friend how a real gentleman waltzes with a lady," he said, suddenly taking Jane's hand and pulling her back into the music.

She felt as though she was dancing on air; Jester moved so gracefully, and she was led along, hardly aware of her own movements.

"When'd you learn to dance so well, Jester?" Jane asked, when she regained control of her tongue again.

"Well, haven't you been watching me all these years?" he said, feigning a hurt expression. "It's not all silly and tomfoolery, you know. I thought you might have noticed by now, but I can be quite graceful if I wanted to be."

"Then excuse me for not taking you seriously. You're proving yourself quite the gentleman tonight," she said, smiling.

"And you're proving yourself to be quite the lady. I'm impressed in your choice of wardrobe. Are those new shoes? You must tell me who makes your clothes, I will compliment them personally," he said, with a playful expression.

"Oh stop it. Flattery will get you nowhere," she said, looking away to hide the blush on her face.

"Should we stop? Are you getting dizzy?"

"A bit, yes," Jane said, slowing her steps and returning to the solid castle floor. The music also slowed to its end as the guests applauded the musicians.

Pepper suddenly appeared in front of them. She and Rake appeared to be herding the guests towards the banquet table.

"Shall we go eat supper now, noble gentleman?" Jane said, jokingly.

"Er, you go on ahead. I'll catch up to you later," Jester said, looking slightly nervous.

"I'll accompany you to supper, Jane," Gunther said, suddenly appearing on her other side, a hand held out to her. "He's got other business to attend to."

"I'll be with you before you know it, Gunther, Jane," he said with a bow before disappearing into the crowd.

"Alright then," Jane said, warily, taking Gunther's hand.

-.-.-


	9. Chapter 9

[Woah, the reads on the previous chapter nearly knocked me off my chair. Thanks guys! Hope you've enjoyed reading the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Here's the last chapter, finally, no more extensions, no more questions. Here's how the story ends.]

-.-.-

The banquet table was alive with chatter and clatter as the guests helped themselves to the meal of various meats, fruits, soups, and sauces from the palace kitchen. Pepper had really outdone herself this time, Jane thought to herself, as she noted that the her cooking became more skillful and exquisite with each passing year.

"My compliments to the chef!" one guest suddenly exclaimed, raising a wine goblet in the air. Jane guessed that he had emptied it quite a few times, judging from his flushed face and slightly slurred speech. "A toast to King Caradoc and his castle!"

Shouts of "Here, here!" went on up and down the banquet table, as goblets clinked here and there. She meekly raised her own goblet, still full of wine that she had taken just a sip off at the start of the meal. She took another sip, and still could not understand its appeal to all the guests around her, drinking heartily from their own cups.

"Don't waste the wine, Jane," Gunther said, to her right, picking up his own cup, already half-drained. "It would be insulting to our host."

"_We_ are the hosts, silly Gunther," Jane said, sneering slightly. "And how can anyone stand to drink this stuff, let alone get drunk on it? You can hardly taste the sweetness."

"One does get used to the bitterness of a wine, much like we get used to the bitterness in people," he said enigmatically, not looking at her. "Makes the sweetness all the sweeter. Not that you'd know what I'm talking about," he suddenly added, swishing his goblet absent-mindedly in his hand.

"Oh spare me your poetry," she said, looking at the cup in her own hands. She took another sip and searched for the sweetness; and she found it was right there, on the tip of her tongue. "Hey, you're right, I do taste it. I think I'd still prefer pumpkin juice or something.

Gunther didn't have the chance to reply as an announcement was made regarding dinner entertainment. Jane could hardly hear it over the general dinner din, and turned to Gunther.

"What did they say? I thought I heard 'Jester' mentioned," she said.

"Here comes the fool now," Gunther said, his gaze fixed on the figure entering and positioning himself at the head of the banquet hall, some ways from King Caradoc's chair. He was handed a lute by one of the staff.

And then he started singing.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I bid you good eve  
I present to you high jester, of the highest sleeves,"

At the same time, he shrugged his shoulders humorously, and his padded shoulders jiggled to the song. The guests laughed.

"Now let me not taketh too much of your time  
But pray please do listen to this simple boy's rhyme."

Then Jane could only sit, mouth agape, as he started his song-

_There once was a lady-in-waiting, let's call her Jane;  
That girl wasn't ordinary…_

-.-.-

"You can't be serious. You couldn't have been serious!" Jane could barely contain herself, pacing back and forth in the palace garden.

The ball was by now almost over, with some of the guests taking their leave, some of them dawdling behind, chatting with the royal family, feasting on the desserts. Meanwhile, the garden was nearly empty. Except of course, for two young men and a screaming young woman.

"Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was?" she hissed at Jester, in an attempt to keep her voice down. "I don't want to hear any more about that bet you've made between the two of you."

"Oh please, you're one to talk, Little Ms. Competitive," Gunther sneered. "I haven't gone a week without you coming up with some wager just to prove how much better, faster, or stronger you are at anything I want to do."

"Alright, I know I've been a jerk, a dung dweller, a bog-brained half-witted maggot," she started sizzling.

"You forgot to mention 'pig's bottom'," Jester interjected.

"But to treat me, a proper lady, like some sort of prize for the two of you? It's lower than low. It's- it's- really low, that's what it is!" she said, continuing to pace agitatedly.

"Well, we may have to argue the 'proper lady' bit," Gunther mumbled.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?" Jane said, suddenly stopping in front of the two of them.

After a moment's pause, Jester suddenly quipped "Won't you at least tell us who won tonight?"

Jane scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And still, the fools won't quit," she said, before turning her evilest gaze on the two of them, in turn. Then, suddenly, she got an idea, apparent in her knowing smile and lit eyes.

"Why don't we make another bet, gentlemen?" she said, smiling at them, in turn.

-.-.-

"Good morning, Rake," Pepper called cheerfully, as she brought a large bowl of breakfast porridge from the kitchen to the courtyard table.

"Good morning, Pepper," Rake called from the garden, where he'd just finished pulling out the last of the weeds of the morning. "Is breakfast ready?"

"Quite, and still hot. Be sure to call the others before it becomes cold," Pepper said, returning to the kitchen to prepare the other meals of the castle.

Rake set out on his task around the castle grounds.

"Good morning, Smithy, breakfast's ready," he called as Smithy emerged from his quarters, with Pig soon rushing to meet him.

"Good morning, Pig, your breakfast's ready, too," he said, bending over to greet the Pig.

"Good morning, Gunther, Pepper said to tell- you-," he said, passing the knight's quarters, where Gunther emerged, looking unusually sprightly.

"Good day to you, too, Rake. See you at breakfast," he said, waving at the gardener as he headed to the common courtyard.

Rake furrowed his brow after him, thinking that something seemed strange; not quite figuring out, he decided to shrug it off and call the last people for breakfast.

A flurry of bells passed him and greeted him a cheerful good morning as he passed Jester.

"Good morning, Jester," he shouted after the jingle-boy before making his way up to Jane's room.

Jane nearly jumped out of her door, twirling around in the morning sun. Even Dragon seemed put off by this strangely ecstatic behavior.

"Jane, have you got squirrels in your britches? If you do I can put them right for you. Can't have pests in this castle on my watch-, Jane, is something different about you today?" Dragon said, from atop the turret.

Jane only laughed and said "Good morning" to the two of them as she skipped down the stairs past a stunned Rake, who could only shrug at Dragon and follow her down.

-.-.-

Smithy, Pepper, Rake, and Dragon wore troubled expressions throughout the day. It was the day after the ball, and they were all busy cleaning up after last night. They swept and kept, broomed and zoomed, mopped and basically just slaved away the whole day. Everyone was exhausted by dinner time, and they all sat down to eat at the same table in the courtyard, just like always.

"It's strange," Rake said, absent-mindedly stirring his soup with his spoon. "There's something different today, but I can't figure out what. Nothing's out of place. Not in my garden, the cabbages and potatoes are growing just fine; not in the kitchen, the food's as lovely as ever; not in the forge, the bellows work the same as always. But something's just bothering me, like a weed I can't pull out."

"I've been thinking the same thing, too," Smithy agreed with Rake.

"Well, maybe we're all just a bit tired. Our minds can play tricks on us sometimes, you know," Pepper said, trying to help.

Dragon suddenly landed on the wall next to them. "No, something's fishy here, and I just know it. I can sniff it a mile away."

He suddenly put his face close to the other three people who had been silent the whole time; giggling amongst themselves, as they soon noticed.

"Did you three get your hair cut?"

They broke out into laughter which soon spread into a joyous peal of laughs echoing through the courtyard.

-.-.-

"Do you regret changing your hair back to the way it was before the bet?" Jester asked Jane as they watched the moon from atop the parapet.

"The hair, maybe," she said, giggling. "It was starting to grow on me."

"Touche," Jester said, with a smile.

"But I don't regret going back to the way things were," she said, gazing up at the moon. "Some things should never change."

"Yes, then maybe people wouldn't have to be bothered so much," Gunther suddenly interrupted, walking towards them from behind. "Or forced to grow their hair into unmanageable bushes."

"Oh shut up. It wasn't a fair bet anyway," she said, not turning to face him.

"You didn't stand a hair of a chance," he continued.

"Do you two want to take my job or will you promise to leave the puns to me?" Jester suddenly broke in, face all seriousness.

They all looked at each other, then broke out into laughter again.

"Yeah, we should probably leave things the way they are. Just so, you know, no one here dies of bad jokes," Jane said.

"Or bad hair days," Jester said, looking at Jane.

"Or bad fringes," Jane said, looking at Gunther.

"Or bad hat hair," Gunther said, looking at Jester.

"Or bad running gags. Honestly, I've had enough of you two," Jester said, breaking into laughter again.

"So have I," Gunther and Jane said at the same time.

They looked at each other and could only smile.


End file.
